California Wine Country Steve Jaxon & Dan Berger

Clark Smith has a Noam Chomsky story to tell.



Clark Smith is in the studio for California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Today he tells his MIT stories and more. The Clark Smith MIT story begins with his first two years of college, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This podcast episode is from the portion of the live show where Clark tells his personal story. Clark' last appearance on CWC was this episode of last March.



The rest of Clark's conversation with Steve and Dan is about the wines he brought in today, so that has its own podcast episode, here.



Clark Smith dropped out of MIT after two years and we finally hear the story today. At MIT, the senior faculty teach the Freshman courses. So he had Noam Chomsky for Linguistics, Francis Crick for microbiology, and several others. The trouble came when he had to declare a major at the beginning of his junior year, after earning straight As his first two years. He wanted to create his own major that combined science and art in some way. Today, that is a common practice in universities but at that time, he was not able to do it. So he dropped out thinking he would take a year to figure it out.

The One-Way Cross Country Trip

That is when Clark and a friend drove across the country and he ended up getting a job in a wine shop in Oakland. Someone asked him about a bottle of Paul Masson Emerald Dry wine. He didn’t have the answer, so he started tasting the wines, eventually all of them.



There were 250 wineries in the US and he visited a lot of them, maybe “all” of them. One day while visiting a winery he told his wife, that this was his calling. He is happy to have found the art plus science angle he was looking for. After that, he completed the BS and MS programs at UC Davis. Then he helped found RH Philips winery and he started his WineSmith consultancy.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



When he was working for Benziger, their owner needed to find non-alcoholic wine. So he bought a reverse osmosis machine. One of the big problems of winemaking up to the 1970 was how to get rid of VA, Volatile Acidity, i.e. vinegar. In 1960 the average wine in California was 18.5% ABV, mostly Port and Sherry but that was before enough people learned how to really do it.



There is great wine coming from places like South Africa and Australia, but most of the best product stays in the country of origin.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



Visit Clark’s website to see the section about Forgeries and Oddities. Forgeries are wines that he makes exactly like wines from other places. His Cabernet Franc is Bordeaux style, made like a St. Emillion, and his Cabernet Sauvignon is made like a Pomerol. The Oddities are wines made from rare grapes you've never heard of, like Norton.



Enter the promo code IKNOWCLARK all caps no spaces, for a 20% discount.

Dan Berger and Clark Smith, WineSmith.



WineSmith Clark Smith has brought four unique wines on to California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Clark Smith's last appearance on CWC was this episode of last March, when he talked about pairing wine with music. WineSmith is Clark's label for personal projects.



This live show ran a bit long, so the portion of the conversation dealing with Clark Smith's early career, from MIT to starting in the wine business, is here on this other podcast episode.



The wine marketplace is in serious downturn. Dan Berger notes that every ten to fifteen years or so there is a recurrence of Prohibitionist thinking, people saying not to drink anything. A former Yale professor wrote about this phenomenon. Dan notes another factor, which is alternative beverage which are giving consumer more choice.



Clark Smith explains that there are really two wine industries. 95% of the market is for mass market consumption and is not very good. It is meant to be “run of the mill” and not excellent. The other five percent of wineries are struggling to make wines that are “interesting.” Clark’s market is the consumer who is interested is something other than the kind of inexpensive wines found in supermarkets.



This is even true about the beer industry. Take the example of Russian River Brewing Co. which makes beers that are “interesting” which are driving their success.

Today's Cellar Wine Tasting

Today’s cellar wine is a 2022 White Haven Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand. It did not have sufficient acidity and has not aged particularly well.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



They turn to a WineSmith sparkling wine made of Grenache. A lot of champagne used to be really sweet. The Grenache taste of strawberries and the vineyard character of honeydew melon. Grenache is usually made into a red or rosé. You typically don’t see white sparkling Grenache, like this. A little baked bread component in the nose, and some minerality in the aftertaste. Even with Dom Perignon so-called brut has 1.5% sugar. Brut Champagne was made to respond to English market demand for less sweet wines. One Champagne maker supposedly said that only brutes would like it that way, hence the name “brut” which has stuck around.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



WineSmith owns no vineyards but Clark Smith has good long-standing relations with many growers. His website states that growing great grapes is a full time job so he is happy to let others do it. Everything WineSmith makes is experimental, says Clark. With the market the way it is, with people looking for something different, Clark is well positioned to provide the novelty that demanding consumers want.

No New Oak for Clark

Clark also owns no barrels that are less than 20 years old. The new oak adds too much oak flavor. That's when people can say that the wine tastes like wooden furniture.



Words of wisdom from Clark: "Wine is fundamentally mysterious. Understanding wine is the booby prize."



One of Clark's labels has content that can only be seen under a black light. It costs $75 so with the purchase they throw in a black like flashlight.



Dan Berger wants to write a book on wine myths. It's complicated because there are PhDs who believe in myths. Since Clark knows the.chemistry, where Dan does not, they might have to collaborate on the book. Clark uses the technical term "out to lunch" to describe some examples of that.



Dan is writing a book about American wine regions. There are great wines coming from states that were never known for wine, especially cold climate wines. Michigan is an example. Dan mentions Iowa too. Iowa also produces La Quercia prosciutto, which Clark says is excellent.

Baran Ziegler and Steve Dveris in the CWC studio.



We have two guests from the 2024 Healdsburg WFE - Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience – on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger.



Dan has brought a cellar wine for tasting, a Sauvignon Blanc that Steve calls "spectacular." It's a 2018 Benziger Estate Paradiso de Maria. Dan has been holding it for five years.



Steve Dveris is back, to describe the Healdsburg Wine and Food Experience. And Baran Ziegler is here, he has Valkyrie Selections and Marine Layer Wines.



The 2024 Healdsburg WFE is a four-day event, between May 16-19, 2024. It is the favorite wine event on the calendar for many people who have attended. This is its third annual edition. There are still  tickets available for the big tasting event on May 18 featuring 125 wineries and 30 chefs, plus beverages galore. Wine Enthusiast magazine voted the HWFE as one of the 10 best wine events in the country. That's a great achievement for the event which is only on its third annual edition.



Baran worked in wine retail in college and has been in the industry for 25 years. His company Valkyrie Selections is an importer of wines from Spain and France. His first company was Banshee wines, which he started 20 years ago. Marine Layer is the name of his current winery. The weather in the western part of Sonoma County has a strong marine influence, which makes the area perfect for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The Marine Layer tasting room is in downtown Healdsburg.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.

Valkyrie Selections

Among the wines that Valkyrie Selections imports is an English producer of sparkling wine. On the southern coast, the chalky soils are the same soil formation present across the Channel in Champagne, France. Climate change has warmed England by 5-6 degrees which is enough to allow grapes to grow. 20-30 years ago it wasn't possible. Valkyrie Selections imports 212 wines from 42 growers in Spain. They sell almost 500 wines, as a company.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



Most of their wine is sold direct to consumer on their website. In the future, some store distribution is a goal. They have a 3000-square-foot tasting room.

William Weese, Merriam Vineyards winemaker, is our guest with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Melissa Galliani, GM of Wine Country Radio is also in the studio. The last time William Weese was on CWC was this episode on March 15, 2023. Today he has brought a Cabernet Franc, a Merlot and a Chardonnay.



The Merriam family started with one vineyard called Windacre in 1998 that produced Merlot. They built a winery and planted more vineyards in 2008 with Cabernet Franc and Malbec and Merlot, in their present location off East Side Road, directly below Shone Farm.



Dan says the Merriam project has been under the radar but it has become one of the most beautiful wineries in Sonoma County. They have been certified organic in the vineyard for many years and and now also the winery, recently.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



The Cabernet Franc is “spectacular” says Dan. In the Russian River AVA Pinot Noir is dominant but Cabernet Franc and Merlot deserve more attention. They are open daily from 10 to 5. Reservations are encouraged but not required. They have all kinds of tastings and tours.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



William Weese, Merriam Vineyards winemaker learned winemaking by working in New Zealand, France, Chile and Napa Valley, after some study at Cal State at Chico and at UC Davis.

The Sonoma County Barrel Auction

Dan Berger and William were at the Sonoma County Barrel Auction today where the variety of production in Sonoma County was on display. Dan notices that a lot of the buyers here are people who want a personal affiliation with the winery. It is also a great place to get to know other wineries and winemakers. There are people who know wine who appreciate special products.



They pour the 2021 Cabernet Franc, one of their favorites that comes from a small block in the vineyard. It is a slow-ripening grape so they let it hang for a long time. It is smooth and silky. It has some of the personality of Cabernet Sauvignon, but more floral and less astringent.



The winery and tasting room are located a few minutes outside of Healdsburg.

Dan Berger and Don Chigazola.



Don Chigazola has brought wines from Colle Ciocco winery run by the Spacchetti family in Italy, to taste on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Chigazola Merchants is Don's company. a micro-importer of fine wines from small producers in Italy. The Spacchetti family are new suppliers to Don's import business.



Don has been on CWC several times before, the last time was this episode in November of 2023, with wines from the Friuli region in northeastern Italy.



Don has told his story on the show several times before and again for today’s audience. He started his business about 12 years ago. He and his wife Debbie and his son Tony drive around the provinces in Italy to visit small local producers. They are farmers who have been making wine for generations. They choose the best ones to import for distribution to their private wine club members and to some restaurants and wine shops in the local area.

The Chigazola Merchants Method

Don’s favorite way of finding wine is to go to the center of town and ask the men assembled in the square who makes the best wine locally. In this case he found the Spacchetti family in the town of Montefalco, in the Umbria region. They tasted their wines at the Vinitaly show in Verona and now they have their first delivery. But first, they visited the 40-acre vineyard located just outside the old stone walls of Montefalco, to meet the family and walk the vineyard. Today Chigazola Merchants imports wine from 13 different families in 12 regions.

Colle Ciocco means "Cho-ko" Hill

Colle Ciocco is the name of the Spacchetti family winery. Pronounced “coll-eh CHOE-koe” it means “Ciocco Hill” in Italian.



The first wine they taste is a red, a 2022 Colle Ciocco Grechetto, made of 85% Grechetto grapes, plus 15% Viogner in the blend. That blend makes it smoother. Dan has noticed that the wines from this region have improved a lot in the last few decades.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



Next they taste a classic Umbrian red blend Montefalco Rosso, 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot and 15% Sagrantino. This is a 2019 and is their current release. “It has massive amounts of fruit,” says Dan. It has good structure but it’s light. Aged one year in oak and two years in the bottle before it is released. It has the structure of a Pinot Noir but not the flavor.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



The Sagrantino is big like a Barolo from Piemonte, but it is only grown in Umbria. The 2018 is the current release and it is still a baby. It is such a tannic varietal that it is not even approachable for the first six years. It can hold up 10 years in the bottle.



Finally, the Trebbiano, is a white wine that is delightful and does not remind you of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, the two French varietals that we see the most of in California.

Dan Berger and Alan Baker



The co-founder of Cartograph Wines, Alan Baker, is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He has been on CWC four previous times, the last time was this episode recorded on November 23. 2022. In each of his appearances we hear how he came to California from Minnesota and used to work in radio.



Dan Berger brought a 2016 MacRostie Chardonnay, from Wildcat Mountain, one of the eastern areas of Sonoma Coast. Dan declares, “These wines are really bullet-proof for several years,” meaning it’s delicious and has good structure.



Alan Baker and Serena Lourie founded Cartograph in Healdsburg in 2009. Read their story on this page of the Cartograph Wines website.



Alan Baker used to work in public radio, in Minnesota. He grew up in Iowa, majored in music in college and worked as a recording engineer and producer. In 2005 he moved to Healdsburg and “started knocking on doors.” His partner Serena was an adolescent psych nurse, then went into program design and then into venture capital. They met making wine at Crush Pad.



Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for info on the 2024 Summer Concert series.



Cartograph Wines has a tasting room in downtown Healdsburg. That’s where AV Films is holding its festival. There is a lot to do and see in Healdsburg.



Click the logo to visit Davis Bynum Wines.



They taste the Cartograph 2023 Rosé, which has a salmon color, rather than pink, and has a lively finish. After that they taste a Riesling.



Friday August 9, 2024 there will be a special anniversary edition of California Wine Country for the 16th anniversary of The Drive. Save the date, location to be announced soon.